Mack Defense announced that the U.S. military has ordered an additional 135 Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs). The additional vehicles are part of the previously announced firm-fixed price $296 million contract over seven years that the Army awarded Mack Defense in 2018. For this new order, 60 HDTs are being purchased by the U.S. Army Reserve, 74 are being funded by the presidential budget and one is being purchased by the U.S. Navy, according to the company. A total of 446 HDTs have been ordered to date.

The HDTs are used in construction and maintenance missions for infrastructure assets, such as airfields, roadways, landing strips, supply facilities and motor pools.

The Army previously had ordered 311 HDTs, which are based on the commercially available Mack Granite model and spec’d with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other ruggedized features to meet the requirements of the U.S. military.

Production of the HDTs at the MEC began in Q1 2021, following an investment of $6.5 million to create a dedicated HDT production line at the facility, according to the company. The production line helps fulfill the M917A3 contract, while allowing Mack Defense to produce other vehicle variants.